Living Holy

Hide Your face from my sins And wipe out all my guilty deeds.

Create in me a clean heart, God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me.

One who conceals his wrongdoings will not prosper, But one who confesses and abandons them will find compassion.

For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans for prosperity and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.

“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.

“Now there was a rich man, and he habitually dressed in purple and fine linen, enjoying himself in splendor every day.

And a poor man named Lazarus was laid at his gate, covered with sores,

and longing to be fed from the scraps which fell from the rich man’s table; not only that, the dogs also were coming and licking his sores.

Now it happened that the poor man died and was carried away by the angels toAbraham’s arms; and the rich man also died and was buried.

And in Hades he raised his eyes, being in torment, and *saw Abraham far away and Lazarus in hisarms.

And he cried out and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me and send Lazarus, so that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool off my tongue, for I am in agony in this flame.’

But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that during your life you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus bad things; but now he is being comforted here, and you are in agony.

Andbesides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been set, so that those who want to go over from here to you will not be able, nor will any people cross over from there to us.’

And he said, ‘Then I request of you, father, that you send him to my father’s house—

for I have five brothers—in order that he may warn them, so that they will not come to this place of torment as well.’

But Abraham *said, ‘They haveMoses and the Prophets; let them hear them.’

But he said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent!’

But he said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be persuaded even if someone rises from the dead.’ ”

You are alreadyclean because of the word which I have spoken to you.

For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under the Law but under grace.

Therefore I urge you, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.

And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.

Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own?

For you have been bought for a price: therefore glorify God in your body.

Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let’s cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

So I say this, and affirm in the Lord, that you are to no longer walk just as the Gentiles also walk, in the futility of their minds,

Therefore, if you have been raised with Christ, keep seeking the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.

Finally then, brothers and sisters, we request and urge you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received instruction from us as to how you ought to walk and please God (just as you actually do walk), that you excel even more.

For you know what instructions we gave you by the authority of the Lord Jesus.

For this is the will of God, your sanctification; that is, that you abstain from sexual immorality;

that each of you know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor,

not in lustful passion, like the Gentiles who do not know God;

A woman must quietly receive instruction with entire submissiveness.

But I do not allow a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man, but to remain quiet.

For it was Adam who was first created, and then Eve.

And it was not Adam who was deceived, but the woman was deceived and became a wrongdoer.

But women will be preserved through childbirth—if they continue in faith, love, and sanctity, with moderation.

Let no one look down on your youthfulness, but rather in speech, conduct, love, faith, and purity, show yourself an example of those who believe.

See to it that no one comes short of the grace of God; that no root of bitterness springing up causes trouble, and by it many become defiled;

Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, set your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance,

but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior;

because it is written: “YOU SHALL BE HOLY, FOR I AM HOLY.”

If you address as Father the One who impartially judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves in fear during the time of your stay on earth;

knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers,

but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ.

For He was foreknown before the foundation of the world, but has appeared in these last times for the sake of you

who through Him are believers in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.

Since you have purified your souls in obedience to the truth for a sincere love of the brothers and sisters, fervently love one another from the heart,

for you have been born again not of seed which is perishable, but imperishable, that is, through the living and enduring word of God.

For, “ALL FLESH IS LIKE GRASS, AND ALL ITS GLORY IS LIKE THE FLOWER OF GRASS. THE GRASS WITHERS, AND THE FLOWER FALLS OFF,

BUT THE WORD OF THE LORD ENDURES FOREVER.” And this is the word which was preached to you.

But you are A CHOSEN PEOPLE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR GOD’S own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;

To sum up, all of you be harmonious, sympathetic, loving, compassionate, and humble;

not returning evil for evil or insult for insult, but giving a blessing instead; for you were called for the very purpose that you would inherit a blessing.

For, “THE ONE WHO DESIRES LIFE, TO LOVE AND SEE GOOD DAYS, MUST KEEP HIS TONGUE FROM EVIL AND HIS LIPS FROM SPEAKING DECEIT.

HE MUST TURN AWAY FROM EVIL AND DO GOOD; HE MUST SEEK PEACE AND PURSUE IT.

FOR THE EYES OF THE LORD ARE TOWARD THE RIGHTEOUS, AND HIS EARS ATTEND TO THEIR PRAYER, BUT THE FACE OF THE LORD IS AGAINST EVILDOERS.”

And who is there to harm you if you prove zealous for what is good?

But even if you should suffer for the sake of righteousness, you are blessed. AND DO NOT FEAR THEIR INTIMIDATION, AND DO NOT BE IN DREAD,

but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, but with gentleness and respect;

and keep a good conscience so that in the thing in which you are slandered, those who disparage your good behavior in Christ will be put to shame.

For it is better, if God should will it so, that you suffer for doing what is right rather than for doing what is wrong.

For Christ also suffered for sins once for all time, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit;

Simon Peter, a bond-servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who have received a faith of the same kind as ours, by the righteousness of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ:

Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord,

for His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence.

Through these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world on account of lust.

Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge,

and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness,

and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love.

For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they do not make you useless nor unproductive in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

For the one who lacks these qualities is blind or short-sighted, having forgotten his purification from his former sins.

Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness,

looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be destroyed by burning, and the elements will melt with intense heat!

But according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells.

Therefore, beloved, since you look for these things, be diligent to be found spotless and blameless by Him, at peace,